White Shadows

by Susan Edwards

  Dream Walker shook his head. “I will meet Sharp Nose tonight in a place not far from here.” He bent to pick up his weapons. “I will return shortly.” He walked out, still chuckling.

  Winona made Clay lie back down. Pain etched his mouth. She knelt beside him. “I am sorry, Clay. I could not let you go out there. You are not ready.”

  Clay opened his eyes. “I am not sure whether to thank you or—”

  “I will take the thanks.” Winona covered him. “Sleep to get your strength back.”

  Clay growled. “Do not push it, Golden Eyes.”

  She smiled and turned to Spotted Deer. Noting her friend’s pale face and wide eyes, she pushed her down to another fur pallet across the cavern. “What is wrong, Spotted Deer?”

  Spotted Deer shook her head. “I do not know. My head hurts.” She glanced over at Clay, her eyes wide yet searching.

  “He will not harm you,” Winona reassured her. “He is going to have Dream Walker return you to my father.”

  “And you?” she whispered.

  Taking a deep breath, Winona took her friend’s hands into her own. “I will stay—my choice—with Clay.” Worried about Spotted Deer, fearing her friend wouldn’t understand or might feel betrayed, she lowered her voice. “I love him.”

  “What about Hoka Luta?” Spotted Deer’s eyes were wide.

  Winona glanced over at Clay, who was already sleeping. “He is the enemy. He is not who he claims to be. His name is Henry Black Bear, and he killed Clay’s family and sold his baby sister. He took us to try to get Henry Black Bear to tell him where to find Jenny.”

  Spotted Deer swayed slightly. “The bear,” she whispered, her eyes blurring. “The black bear.” She shuddered.

  “Your dreams have returned?” Winona rubbed Spotted Deer’s cold fingers.

  Spotted Deer nodded. Her lips trembled. “Every night. They are the same. Yet different. The girl, she calls out a name now.”

  Spotted Deer pulled out her medicine pouch and held it tightly in her fist

  “What name?” Winona asked. For as long as she could remember, Spotted Deer had been plagued by bad dreams.

  “I-I am not sure.” She tried to recall the dreams. The black bear. The child. The older boy. And someone she loved and trusted. Then came the images of her mother and the sounds of screaming and the sight of blood. Then the bear came again. She rubbed at the scar on her knee.

  “The bear,” she said, her eyes closed as she recalled hiding from the bear who wasn’t a bear but a boy with a bear head. She hid. Waited for someone…

  “Kaa.”

  Winona’s eyes were wide. “You’ve always been afraid of bears. You dream of bears.” Winona remembered the time when she was six winters old and a black bear had wandered near their camp with two cubs. She and Spotted Deer had been playing in a shallow pool away from the swift current. All the women and children had fallen silent. Winona had loved the sight of the cavorting cubs splashing in the shallows and the warning stance of the mother rearing up on hind legs.

  But Spotted Deer had started screaming and hadn’t stopped until her voice gave out. Winona had never understood.

  Spotted Deer shook her head. “Not a bear. A person. A game,” she said, rubbing her temples, then her arms. She visibly shook herself. “I do not want to talk about my dreams,” she whispered.

  Winona held her breath as she stared hard at her best friend. Bad dreams. A fear of bears. And Clay, searching for his sister, his family killed by Henry Black Bear. No, it couldn’t be. Could it?

  Spotted Deer had parents who’d loved her, and she herself had known the girl for her entire life—most of her life. Spotted Deer and her parents had joined their tribe when the two girls had been small.

  Frowning, she recalled everything Clay had said. Then the name Spotted Deer had said. “This name you hear in your dreams, say it again.”

  “Winona—”

  “Say it!”

  Spotted Deer closed her eyes, as if trying to hear the name in her head. “Kaa. I see a little girl running. In my dreams I am that little girl.”

  “Kaa,” she repeated over and over, her breathing coming harder and faster as the screams in her head grew louder.

  She dropped her medicine bag. She’d been gripping it so hard the knot in the leather thong had come undone. It fell to the ground.

  Winona bit her lower lip. “Kaa,” she said, drawing out the aaa sound. “Clay.” This time she dropped the L sound and accented the aaa sound. She felt goose bumps break out along her arms.

  “Jenny. Does that name sound familiar?” She watched Spotted Deer carefully.

  Spotted Deer trembled and held her hands to her head. “Jenny. Jenny. Jenny.” Her eyes flew open. “I have heard that name. Many times.” Over and over she whispered the name.

  Behind her, Winona heard a soft moan.

  “Jenny.” Clay was restless, as if trying to wake.

  Winona leaned forward and whispered in her friend’s ear, “We have to leave. Now.”

  “I don’t understand—”

  Winona didn’t have time to explain; then it was too late. Clay had woken fully and was staring at them. “I heard her. I heard her calling me. Kaa. Only Jenny called me by that name.” His gaze shifted to Spotted Deer, who was pale and hugging herself.

  “Your name,” he insisted harshly. He scooted close slowly, as though what he’d heard were nothing more than another taunting dream.

  Spotted Deer backed away. “Spotted Deer…” Her voice trailed off.

  Reaching out, Clay grabbed her ankle and gently shoved her skirt above her knees. The girl froze when he traced the most beautiful scar he’d ever seen. He stared at her in wonder. He’d heard her talking of dreams. Bears. And she’d said “Kaa.”

  “How did you get this scar?” His voice broke. “Tell me,” he begged.

  “A bear.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “A bear chased me and I fell.” Spotted Deer tried to pull away from Night Shadow.

  Night Shadow gentled his hold on her as he took in her dark hair and eyes and studied her features. And he saw it: the wide mouth of his mother, the dimple of his sister Catherine and a small dent in her chin—a gift from his father.

  His voice turned husky. “Who came after you? Who saved you from the bear?” He tried to keep his voice soft, gentle and patient.

  Spotted Deer shook her head. “I-I don’t know.”

  Winona bit her lower lip and reached out to take her friend by the hand. “You do. You said the name. I heard you.” She glanced at Clay.

  Spotted Deer shook her head but she couldn’t take her eyes from Clay’s.

  Clay fingered her long brownish-black hair. Only now did he see it wasn’t the black of the night like Winona’s.

  “Who, Jenny? Who always saved you from the bear? Say the name. Say it again. Please,” he begged.

  “Kaa,” she whispered, just now putting it together. “Kaa.”

  “Yes,” Clay said, tears running down his face. “Kaa. Clay. Your brother always saved you from the bears.” He held out his arms and grabbed his sister when she threw herself into his arms.

  “I cannot believe that you were so close all this time.” He restrained himself from firing questions at her. She needed time to adjust. To trust. And that was okay. But right then he needed to hold her for just a moment.

  He was Clay. Clay the brother. Clay the man, in love, and ready to take a chance on love and family. Night Shadow was still there, would always be there, but Clay didn’t need Night Shadow to shield his heart anymore.

  “Clay.”

  He turned to Winona. “We found her,” he said.

  She was crying. “Yes, we found her.” She leaned forward. “We have proof,” she said, her voice shaking, her gaze determined. “We have proof. We can go to my father now.”

  “No!” Not until Henry Black Bear was dead. He tried to sit, but Winona held him down. “You are a fool. Let me go and find my father. Let Dream Walker take us back. Let me stop this. Al
l of it.”

  “No. Henry is my problem.”

  Jenny was watching them, confusion in her eyes. Winona quickly explained. “You are the key, Spotted Deer—Jenny. If Clay goes after Henry, our father will kill him.” Her voice broke. “You are the proof that we need to convince my father that Clay was justified in taking us captive.”

  Jenny could only nod in wonder. “I have a brother.” She reached out and touched Clay’s face with her hand. “My sister is right. I cannot lose you. If my father…” She stumbled over the word.

  Clay smiled. “You have had many fathers and they have all loved you. For that I thank the spirits, for you look well.”

  “Then listen to Winona. If our father does not kill you before you can even speak, our brother will.”

  “Or Henry,” Winona added. “He can kill you and no one will question his actions. And if you die, it is our word against his.”

  “When Dream Walker returns, we will leave and meet the others. Then we will end this.”

  Winona stood. She wanted to cry in frustration. Clay refused to believe her. Even if he killed Hoka Luta, he was still in danger from her father.

  Clay needed her to act first. Her father knew of Spotted Deer’s dreams, for they’d started again right after her parents—her adoptive parents—had died. She could not let him leave. She had to reach her father first.

  When Clay dismissed her concerns by putting Jenny aside so he could stand, she had no choice in what she had to do. Gripping the fist-sized stone in her hand that she’d palmed, she banged Clay on the back of his head.

  For a moment he looked stunned; then he slumped over onto Jenny’s lap. Jenny choked on her scream and looked up at Winona in horror.

  “He will be all right. His head is harder than the stone. Now come on,” Winona said in a hiss, grabbing Jenny by the hand. She had to get them out of there.

  Jenny glanced back at Clay’s unconscious form but didn’t protest. She knew Winona spoke the truth. They had to reach Hawk Eyes first.

  “What about Dream Walker?”

  Winona didn’t dare look back. If she did she’d never have the courage or the will to leave Clay. “Pray we do not see him or he us. Now hurry. We have to find Father. He is somewhere close by.” She led the way out of the cavern.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Clay woke to a pounding between his ears. Holding his aching head, he struggled to sit. The room spun, threatening to make him pass out again, so he dropped his head between his knees and groaned softly.

  What had happened? His searching fingers found a large swelling at the back of his head. Had he been so weak that he’d passed out when he’d tried to stand?

  With eyes closed, Clay sought to remember. Dream Walker had returned. And he’d brought Spotted Deer. He remembered hearing the two women talking—he’d been resting, dozing lightly, secure in the knowledge that the woman he loved was close—her voice had soothed him.

  Then the dream of Jenny. He must have fallen asleep, for he always remembered his dreams of his sister. But this one had been different. It had seemed so real. And for the first time she’d called him Kaa. He’d heard it. He’d held her; he’d breathed in her scent.

  His nostrils flared. The scent was still there. Was he out of his mind with fever? No. He slowly lifted his head. He’d been ready to go outside—to get water. Had he gone out and hurt himself? Turning his head to look around, he moaned as waves of pain shot through his head.

  He closed his eyes again and waited for the pain and the sick feeling in his stomach to pass. This time he opened his eyes and kept them focused on the fur he sat on.

  Still, his vision refused to focus. It blurred, and all he could see was a blob of red. He blinked but the redness didn’t go away. Slowly he reached out, and to his surprise his fingers closed around a small, hard object. He picked it up and stared at the ruby necklace in the palm of his hand. He felt suddenly lightheaded. This time he fought the weakness, shoved it from him. Slowly his eyes focused on the object in his hand.

  Using two hands he pulled the tangled, blackened silver chain apart, finding the broken link. With shaking fingers he brought the warm stone to his lips.

  His mother’s necklace. How? He glanced around and spotted a tiny leather pouch on the ground. Picking it up, he brought it to his nose. It carried the same scent as the Jenny he’d dreamed of holding tightly to his chest.

  Sucking in a breath, Clay struggled to his feet. It had been no dream. She’d been here. He’d really held her, spoken to her. He remembered all of it. Spotted Deer and Jenny were one and the same.

  His sister had been so close all this time. He’d even sat with her family—Winona’s family. But he’d never really noticed her. All his attention had been on Winona and his plan to take her captive.

  Turning, he searched for the women. Then spotted the large stone lying where he’d come to. He picked it up and stared at it with disbelief. His arm hurt, his head hurt, but worse, his heart hurt.

  Winona had done this to him, and Jenny had allowed it. The two women he loved and needed most were gone. He nearly doubled over from the gut-punch their betrayal caused.

  He rushed out of the cavern. He had to find Winona and Jenny. Henry was out there. If Henry Black Bear learned who Spotted Deer was, both women would be dead. Rounding a bend, he ran smack into Dream Walker.

  “Night Shadow. My brother. What is wrong?”

  “No time. We have to find Winona. And Jenny.”

  “You do not look so well.” Dream Walker followed Clay.

  “You would not either if you had been bashed on the head with a rock,” he muttered.

  Hoka Luta knew how to wait, how to blend and not be seen. They were here somewhere. He’d seen a Cheyenne warrior arrive with Spotted Deer and he’d watched from his high vantage point not far from the towers of granite. They went into the rocky area, but he could not see where they hid. But they were there. He smiled grimly and ran his finger up and down his bow. He would be here when they came out.

  So he waited. And watched. He controlled the rage festering in his mind. He kept the past distant. The future was more important. When he spotted movement on the rocks, he smiled. His smile grew wider when he realized that Winona and Spotted Deer had left the safety of their rocky hiding place.

  As soon as the two women reached the white rocks, he moved to meet them. He’d learn soon enough what, if anything, they’d been told. The fact that they were alone was a good sign. Had they escaped? Could Winona lead him to Clay Blue Hawk?

  He watched them jump down from the rocks onto the soft mat of grass near the edge of the lake. They turned and headed into the trees, toward him.

  “Hurry, Spotted Deer.” Winona stopped. “Or should I call you Jenny? I do not know what to you!”

  Spotted Deer wrinkled her nose. “I do not either,” she said.

  Hearing them speak, Hoka Luta felt his rage build. Jenny? The key to the past, the proof of past deeds, had been so close all this time? And both women knew the truth. This was all wrong.

  He clenched his jaw and tightened his hands into fists. Nothing had gone right. He’d been led by Clay Blue Hawk, had found the last message—the demands that Jenny be returned—and when he’d first seen the girls, had thought it was over. All he’d had to do was return the women and accept the gratitude of their family. But things had once again gone wrong. Now he would have to kill both women to keep his past secret. Furious, he forced himself to remain hidden as they walked past. Control. Power. They were still his. He just had to keep a clear. He followed silently. How easy it would be to just take his bow and two arrows and their lives.

  But he did not dare. Using his own arrow was too risky. Ahead, the women were in talking low, hushed voices.

  “We will figure that out later. Come on. Clay will come after us and he will be very angry.”

  “How will we find your father?”

  Hoka Luta cut through the trees and stepped into their path. “I will take you to him.”
He paused. “The spirits led me here, led me to you both. This will be a day to celebrate.”

  Winona and Spotted Deer looked startled, even a bit afraid. Then Winona smiled. “We are indeed fortunate.”

  Hoka Luta knew she planned to take her tale to her father. What she did not know was that she would not live to speak of Clay Blue Hawk or his family or his sister, Jenny. Both women were about to die.

  Winona stepped in front of Jenny. The appearance of Henry had startled her, but only for a moment. He knew where her father was and could take them right to him. She sent him a relieved smile. “The enemy is behind us. We escaped. Where is my father?”

  Hoka Luta pointed to the ridge behind the trees. “He is close. Come, let us go.”

  Feeling Jenny’s fingers biting into her arm, Winona knew she didn’t dare go with Henry. It was too risky. She needed her father. “Spotted Deer is ill. She cannot go far. We will hide and wait for him. You can travel faster and bring him before the enemy awakes and we have escaped.”

  Hoka Luta appeared concerned. “If your sister is ill, I will carry her.” He reached out toward Jenny.

  “N-no, I will walk,” she said in a croak.

  Winona felt Jenny’s trembling and feared she’d break down. “She is afraid. Much has happened to her.”

  “Surely she is not afraid of the man you will soon be married to?” Hoka Luta lunged and grabbed Jenny’s arm. He laughed when she screamed but quickly held out his knife to silence her.

  “She is afraid. Why is that?”

  Winona tried to free Jenny but Hoka Luta held her tighter. “Do not be foolish. You cannot hide the truth from me. You know more than you should.”

  “What is it I know?” Winona challenged.

  Hoka Luta laughed harshly. “You know who I am, what I did. Just as you know I cannot allow either of you to live now.”

  He stared down at Jenny. “You have been so close all this time. Too bad. Clay Blue Hawk went to all this trouble to find you, yet you were so close and he did not recognize his own sister.” He laughed when Jenny whimpered.